Gordon
Gordon *'Number': 4 *'Class': "A0" Pacific *'Designer': Sir Nigel Gresley *'Builder': Doncaster Works, rebuilt Crewe Works *'Configuration': 4-6-2 *'Built': 1922, rebuilt 1939 *'Arrived on Sodor': 1923 Gordon is a big blue pompous express engine. He is Flying Scotsman's only remaining brother, and the cousin of Mallard, Green Arrow, Spencer and The Flying Thistle. Bio in the Railway Series Gordon was built experimentally by Sir Nigel Gresley at the Great Northern Railway's Doncaster Works in 1922 as an "A0" Pacific, a so-called "prototype". When Gresley was finished using Gordon for designing his A1 Pacifics, he sold Gordon, along with a spare boiler and firebox, to the North Western Railway. Gordon is mainly used for passenger duties, pulling the North Western Railway's express, the Wild Nor' Wester, but has occasionally pulled goods trains, much to his dislike. He has been known to run into ditches and stop on hills to get out of doing these jobs, as he believes that these are below him. In 1939, Gordon went to Crewe for a rebuild. His conjugated valve gear was replaced by a two-cylinder chassis (designed by the Fat Controller), he received a smoother running plate, Stanier underframes, wheels, cylinders, squared-off side windows, rectangular buffers, and a Fowler tender. Gordon has become famous after his adventures: In 1953, he pulled Queen Elizabeth II's royal train and in 1956, he travelled to London, where he was lauded by a large crowd. Gordon did not like the visit, however, as he discovered that London's big station was St. Pancras. In 1957, when Diesel arrived on trial and was having trouble moving some old trucks, he decided to make rumours about Duck giving Gordon a bad nickname, Galloping Sausage. So he, Henry, and James decided to wheesh and yelled at Duck to keep out of their sheds. However, when the truth came out that Duck had not made the nicknames, they begin to feel very silly about jumping to conclusions before knowing the true story. Then, in 1986, Gordon got to visit Carlisle when a Diesel taking a Railtour failed. In 2011, he was dismissed from pulling the express regularly to Barrow due to the purchase of Pip and Emma. He likes this, because he can do two trips a day instead of one and he does not have to hurry. Bio in the Television Series Gordon has, to date, been the fastest engine on Sodor, but has sometimes had accidents, due to him trying to show off. In the fifth season, his brakes were not working, and could not stop, in result of him crashing through the Kirk Ronan Station wall. Also, in the sixth season, he ignored Salty's advice about going slow while pulling trucks, in result of him speeding down a rickety old branch line, and tumbling into a field. Though he has proven to not be too big for his wheels, and be useful instead, like when Spencer first arrived on Sodor, he gave him advice about taking on water before going to Maron Station, in result, he ran out of water on Gordon's Hill, and Gordon had to pull him there. In the tenth season, he, along with Edward, criticised Rocky when he first arrived on Sodor, and called him "new-fangled nonsense." Afterwards, when he crashed into Edward's pipes, which had fallen off his flatbeds, he derailed. In result, Rocky came and lifted him back onto the rails and cleared the pipes, proving how useful he is. Gordon once tried taking a shortcut in order to beat Stanley to Great Waterton, but accidentally crashed into Ben's logs, but luckily, saved Stanley from crashing into them, on the track below. When Gordon was given the task of taking the Lion of Sodor to the Duke and Duchess of Boxford's summer house with Ferdinand, he ignored his advice about going slowly over the Fenland, with the result of the statue falling into the muddy marsh. After the statue was cleaned, Gordon let Ferdinand be his front engine, and they delivered the statue safely to the summer house. They have since then been good friends. One winter he, along with the rest of the steam team, had to find places to sleep, when the turntable at Tidmouth Sheds was frozen, so he decided to sleep there, in the one accessible berth, in result of him getting stuck in there the next morning, and remaining there for the rest of the day. He has since become a more sensible engine. Once, he was waiting at Kellsthorpe Station while a workman was painting a telephone box on the other platform. But the man accidentally kicked his paint can onto the track next to Gordon, just as Connor raced through the station, splattering red paint all over Gordon. When Henry saw red spots all over Gordon, he assumed the blue engine had chicken pox. In Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure, Gordon says that Thomas is a silly little engine, making Thomas upset. Thomas wants to take revenge and runs Gordon's express coaches off the rails, due to this incident Thomas is sent away. Later, while he is pulling the express, Thomas nearly collides with him while chasing Sailor John and Skiff. Persona Gordon is the fastest and most powerful engine on the rails and he knows it. He is extremely proud and inclined to boast. He is goodhearted, always willing to forgive, and uses his superior strength to help smaller engines out of trouble. Gordon's important position as the engine who usually pulls the Express has made him proud, pompous and self-important, with good reason too; he is the strongest engine on Sodor. Gordon's philosophy "tender engines don't shunt" meant that he looked down on tank engines and tender engines who do shunt, but after being locked in the shed with Henry and James after going on strike and before the seventeenth season, he seems to have abandoned this philosophy. Because of his rank in the social order of the North Western Railway, Gordon expects to get the important jobs and either sulks when he does not, or gets jealous of those who do. Sometimes, Gordon acts as a bully, particularly towards Edward, but following misadventures where Edward had to help him, Gordon had to acknowledge that despite being old, Edward is still a very useful engine. However, sometimes Gordon still doubts Edward is still reliable, such as the time he did not believe Edward could win a race against Spencer because "he's only a back engine" and "a waste of steam". Sometimes Gordon shows a kinder side and gives the younger engines advice, usually after he has had some mishap as a result of his foolhardiness. Some of his advice is not exactly honest, though, as James and Sir Handel have discovered. Basis According to Sudrian "historian" Martin Clutterbuck, Gordon is supposed to be an experimental prototype for Sir Nigel Gresley's A1 Pacific design for the Great Northern Railway - the so-called "A0". Gordon was then built at Doncaster Works, Yorkshire, and tested against a similar LNER Pacific in 1923. Gordon, being an experimental engine, never received a number, and was later rebuilt at Crewe with LMS underparts and a six-wheel tender, owing to various problems. Gordon has since been rebuilt below the footplate according to Stanier designs, his running plate being Sir Topham Hatt's own design. Livery Gordon is painted NWR blue with NWR red-and-yellow lining and the number "4" painted on his tender sides in yellow. Before arriving on Sodor, he was painted Doncaster green with white and black lining. In the Railway Series, he carries two builder's plates on the sides of his cab. Appearances Voice Actors * Neil Crone (Thomas and the Magic Railroad) * Keith Wickham (UK; Hero of the Rails onwards) * Kerry Shale (US; Hero of the Rails onwards) * Kenji Utsumi (Japan; first - eighth seasons) * Kenta Miyake (Japan; Calling All Engines! onwards) * Thierry Kazazian (France and French speaking Canada; eighth - fifteenth seasons) * Bernard Demory (France and French speaking Canada; fifteenth season onwards) * Øyvind Borgemoen Lyse (Norway; Hero of the Rails onwards) * Norbert Gescher (Germany; Thomas and the Magic Railroad) * Tetje Mierendorf (Germany; twelfth season onwards) * Gerardo Reyero (Mexico; Thomas and the Magic Railroad; TV Version) * Dafnis Fernández (Mexico; Hero of the Rails onwards) * Leo Richardson (The Netherlands) * Sławomir Pacek (Poland; Hero of the Rails onwards) * Miłogost Reczek (Poland; Samson at Your Service and Emily Saves the World only) * Danny Segev (Israel; Thomas and the Magic Railroad) * Nir Ron (Israel) * Salvador Serrano (Spain) Trivia * One of Gordon's models was on display at Nitrogen Studios, but is now on display in Japan. * As of the CGI television series, Gordon's catchphrase is "Oh, the indignity!" * Gordon is named after a rude boy that lived on the Awdrys' street when Christopher was a child. * In the annual story, Galloping Sausage, Gordon is portrayed with a 4-6-4 wheel arrangement. * The Halloween Engine in the eighth season episode, Halloween, was recycled from one of Gordon's scrap models. * Gordon's whistle is once again Edward's and Henry's whistle, but with a lower pitch. * Gordon went through numerous changes throughout the TV series. These include: ** Season 4: *** His brake pipe is facing downward. ** Thomas and the Magic Railroad: *** His brake pipe is facing upward again *** He gained red lining on the cab side of his tender. *** His rear bogie was joined to his driving wheel chassis. ** Season 10: *** His pistons, which appeared to be broken, were fixed. ** Season 13: *** The middle sections of his driving wheels are painted black. ** Season 17: *** He gained a permanent head lamp and tail lamp. *** His wheels are fully blue again. ** The Adventure Begins: *** His side-rods become silver. Quotes :"If you were a nice tank engine, you'd be alright! Now you'll have to pull the next train backwards." :"Look!" called some boys. "There's a new tank engine...oh it's only Gordon back to front." :"Hullo!" called Thomas. "Playing Tank Engines? Sensible engine. Take my advice scrap your tender and have a nice bunker!" - Gordon jokingly mistaken for a tank engine, "Tenders and Turntables." :"Good riddance!" grumbled Gordon. "Chatting all night keeping important engines awake, who is he anyway?" :"He's City of Truro. He's famous." :"As famous as me? Nonsense!" :"He's famouser than you. He went 100 miles an hour before you were drawn or thought of!" :"So he says. But I didn't like his looks. He's got no dome!" said Gordon darkly. "Never trust domeless engines, they're not respectable! I never boast," Gordon continued modestly. "But a 100 miles an hour would be easy for me! Goodbye." - Gordon and Duck arguing about City of Truro, "Domeless Engines." : "It's not fair!" grumbled Gordon. : "What isn't fair?" asked Edward. : "Letting branch line diesels pull main line trains!" : "Never mind, Gordon. I'm sure BoCo will let you pull his trucks sometimes." : Gordon spluttered. : "I won't pull BoCo's dirty trucks! I won't run on branch lines!" : "Why not? It would be a nice change." : "The Fat Controller would never approve!" said Gordon. "Branch lines are vulgar!" : Gordon puffed away. Edward chuckled and followed him to the station. - Edward and Gordon taking about branch lines, "Wrong Road." : "When Gordon smiles, it changes his whole face. Hehehe. It is most interesting!" : That made Thomas and Percy laugh. - Hiro talking about Gordon, "Hero of the Rails." Merchandise * ERTL (normal and Gold Rail; both discontinued) * Wooden Railway (normal and limited edition A Better View for Gordon, limited edition discontinued, Battery-Operated) * Take Along (normal, metallic, and lights and sounds; discontinued) * Limited Edition Collection * My First Thomas * Motor Road and Rail (normal, talking and angry; discontinued outside Asia) * TrackMaster (normal, talking, RC, and greatest moments) * Hornby * Bachmann * My Thomas Story Library (discontinued) * Thomas Engine Collection Series (discontinued) * Mini Die Cast Collection (normal and with Santa hat; discontinued) * Departing Now (discontinued) * Thomas Town (discontinued) * Capsule Collection * Take-n-Play (normal, talking, and pull back) * De Agostini (discontinued) * Trading Cards * Tomica * Woody Capsule Series * Brio (discontinued) * Wind-up (normal, several different expressions and metallic) * Pocket Fantasy (discontinued) * Pez * Nakayoshi * Mega Bloks (discontinued) * Diablock * Collectible Railway * Motorized Railway * Push Along * Departing Now * Boss (with grey express coach; discontinued) * Padlock and Key * Switch-On Keychains * Micro Rubber Engines * Pico Pico * Minis (classic, metallic, winter, racers and graffiti; Unknown: Double Bubble) * Choro-Q * Pre-Cut Model Engine Books (discontinued) * Rail Rollers Gallery File:TheRevrend'sGordonmodel.jpg|Awdry's model of Gordon File:Edward,GordonandHenryWilliamMiddleton2.jpg|Gordon drawn by William Middleton File:Edward,Gordon&HenryRS2.PNG|Gordon in The Railway Series File:GordonGoesForeignRS6.PNG|Gordon going to London File:TendersforHenryRS2.png File:Gordon'sFireServiceRS1.png|Gordon with Pip and Emma and Henry File:Gordon'sFireServiceRS6.png File:Gordon1979Annual.JPG|Gordon illustrated by Edgar Hodges File:EdwardGordonAndHenry6.png File:OfftheRails1.png|Gordon resting File:DucktakesCharge19.png|Gordon's whistle File:PopGoestheDiesel47.png File:WrongRoad17.png File:GordonandtheFamousVisitor35.png File:GordonandtheFamousVisitor29.png|Gordon's dome coming loose File:TheTroublewithMud56.png File:ThomasandtheU.K.Trip8.png|Gordon with Percy in Thomas and the U.K. Trip File:Trucks20.png File:BowledOut61.jpg File:PaintPotsandQueens56.png|Gordon and the Queen File:ABetterViewforGordon12.png File:ABetterViewforGordon31.png File:ThomasAndTheMagicRailroad14.png File:GordonTakesaTumble13.png|Gordon in the mud File:Thomas,PercyandtheSqueak15.jpg File:BestDressedEngine48.png File:JamesandtheQueenofSodor46.png File:Percy'sBigMistake16.jpg File:SpicAndSpan54.png File:CallingAllEngines!70.png File:CallingAllEngines!179.png File:RespectforGordon5.png File:Molly'sSpecialSpecial74.png File:It'sGoodtobeGordon38.png TheGreenController57.png File:ThomasAndTheRunawayCar84.png GordonandtheEngineer54.png File:TheGreatDiscovery93.png File:GordonTakesaShortcut70.png|Gordon with a CGI face File:ThomasAndTheBillboard41.png File:HeroOfTheRails523.png|Gordon in full CGI File:Toby'sNewWhistle24.png File:SnowTracks51.png File:MistyIslandRescue426.png File:ThomasinCharge3.jpg File:ThomasinCharge28.jpg|Gordon's cab File:GordonandFerdinand77.png File:PercytheSnowman41.png|Gordon having his snowplough fitted File:BustMyBuffers31.png|Gordon without a bufferbeam File:BustMyBuffers57.png File:KingoftheRailway45.png File:KingoftheRailway136.png|Gordon's wheels File:KingoftheRailway126.png File:GordonRunsDry24.png File:TheLostPuff52.png File:TaleOfTheBrave546.png|Gordon in Tale of the Brave File:OldReliableEdward26.png File:MarionandthePipe12.png File:TheAdventureBegins11.png|Gordon in The Adventure Begins File:TheAdventureBegins5.png|Gordon's handrail and whistle File:LostProperty107.png File:Sodor'sLegendoftheLostTreasure157.png|Gordon in Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure File:Who'sThatEngineGordon8.png File:Who'sThatEngineGordon7.png|Gordon's number four File:Gordon'sModelSpecification.PNG|Gordon's model specifications File:Gordon'sPilotModel.PNG|Gordon's model from "The Unaired Pilot" File:GordonBehindTheScenes.png File:Gordonwithnameboard.png|Gordon with his nameboard File:GordonMrConductor'sThomasTales.png File:Gordon'sNamecardTracksideTunes2.png|One of Gordon's Trackside Tunes namecards File:GordonSeason1Promo.jpg|A promotional image of Gordon from Season 1 File:GordonwithExpressCoaches.PNG|A promotional image of Gordon from the first season File:GordonFront.jpeg|Head-on model promo File:Gordon'sFacemask.jpg|One of Gordon's facemasks File:Edward,GordonandHenry22.PNG File:TenderEngines1.jpg File:GordonandtheEngineer54.jpg File:GordonandHenrypromo.jpg|Gordon and Henry at the Windmill promo image File:GordonandHenry.png File:GordonandHenrySeason8promo.jpg File:GordonAndHenryPromotional2004photo.png File:TheGreatDiscovery225.jpg File:GordonCGIpromo.png File:GordonCGIPromo2.png File:GordonCGIPromo3.jpg File:GordonCGIpromo4.png File:GordonCGIpromo5.jpg File:GordonKnapfordPromo.PNG File:GordonatDaisyHalt File:GordonatKnapfordhead-onpromo.png File:GordonatBrendamDockspromotionalposter.jpg File:GordonandThomasCGIpromo.png File:JamesandGordonCGIPromo.jpg File:Head-OnGordonPromo.png|Head-on CGI promo of Gordon File:Percy&GordonPromo.jpg File:HerooftheRailspromo2.jpg File:GordonintheAutumnPostcard.jpg|Gordon as illustrated by Clifford Meadway File:PointsofnoReturn1.png|Gordon with James and Henry as illustrated by David Palmer File:TimetableTrouble3.jpg|Gordon in a magazine story File:Gordoninamagazineactivity.png|Gordon in a magazine activity File:Gordon'sExpress1.png File:TheReallyUsefulTractionEngine3.png|Gordon in an annual story File:ThomasandhisFriends(MyFirstThomasbook)2.jpg File:TheGreatFestivalAdventure18.jpg|Gordon in The Great Festival Adventure File:TroubleontheTracks(PCGame)66.jpg|Gordon in Trouble on the Tracks File:TheTrainShedPark7.jpg|Gordon at The Train Shed under construction File:TheTrainShedPark13.JPG|Gordon at the Train Shed theme park File:DayOutWithThomasGordon.jpg|Gordon at a Days Out with Thomas event File:DraytonManorGordon.jpg|Drayton Manor Gordon in the sheds File:Gordon&SpencerThomasLand.jpg|Gordon at Thomas Land from Gordon and Spencer ThomasLandJapanMazeABetterViewForGordon.jpg|A Better View For Gordon display at Thomas Land Japan GordonThomasLandUSA.JPG|Gordon at Thomas Land Edaville TidmouthShedsThomasTown.jpeg|Gordon at Tidmouth Sheds in Six Flags Thomas Town Massachusetts ThomasTownTidmouthShedsMD.jpg|Thomas Town MD, Note:Gordon's buffers are blue File:UntenThomasDeluxeSet12.PNG|Gordon in Unten Thomas Deluxe Set File:UntenThomasDeluxeSet14.PNG Merchandise Gallery File:ERTLOriginalGordon.jpg|ERTL Original File:ERTLGordon.png|ERTL File:ERTLGordon1995Packaging.jpg|ERTL 1993 packaging File:ERTLGoldRailGordon.jpg|ERTL Gold Rail File:BachmannGordon.jpg|Bachmann File:HornbyGordonprototype.jpg|Prototype Hornby File:HornbyGordon.jpg|Hornby File:OriginalWoodenRailwayGordon.jpg|1992 Wooden Railway File:GordonWooden.jpg|2002 Wooden Railway File:WoodenRailway2013Gordon.JPG|2013 Wooden Railway File:WoodenRailwayBattery-OperatedGordon.PNG|Wooden Railway Battery-Operated File:WoodenABetterViewForGordon.JPG|Wooden Railway A Better View For Gordon File:WoodenEarlyEngineersGordon.jpg|Wooden Railway Early Engineers File:BrioGordon.png|Brio File:Take-AlongGordon.jpg|Take-Along prototype File:Take-AlongMetallicGordon.png|Metallic Take-Along File:Take-n-PlayGordon.jpg|Take-n-Play File:Take-n-Play2013Gordon.PNG|2013 Take-n-Play File:Take-n-PlayGordon2014.jpg|2014 Take-n-Play File:LimitedEditionCollectionGordon.JPG|Limited Edition Collection File:TakeNPlayGordon'sSnowySpecial.jpg|Take-n-Play Gordon's Snowy Special File:Take-n-PlayGordon'sRattlingCargo.jpg|Take-n-Play Gordon's Rattling Cargo File:Take-n-PlayPull'n'Zoom!Gordon.jpg|Take-n-Play Pull 'n' Zoom File:Take-n-PlayTalkingGordon.jpg|Prototype Take-n-Play Talking Gordon File:Take-n-PlayTalkingGordon2015.jpg|2015 Talking Gordon File:Take-N-PlaySnowyGordon.jpg|2015 Snowy Gordon File:CollectibleRailwayGordon.jpg|Collectible Railway File:MyFirstThomasGordon.jpg|My First Thomas File:MyFirstThomasOriginalGordon.jpg|Original My First Thomas File:TOMYTrainsGordon.png|TOMY Trains File:PlarailGordon.jpeg|Plarail File:2015TOMYGordon.jpg|2015 Plarail File:PlarailTalkingGordon.jpg|Plarail Talking File:PlarailAngryGordon.jpeg|Plarail Angry Gordon File:TOMYGordon.jpg|Motor Road and Rail File:TOMYTrackMasterGordon2007.jpg|TrackMaster (2007) File:TrackMasterGordon.png|TrackMaster File:2014TrackMasterGordon.JPG|2014 TrackMaster File:TrackMasterRC3SpeedGordon.jpg|TrackMaster 3 Speed Gordon File:TrackMasterOtheIndignityGordon.jpg|O the Indignity Gordon File:TrackMasterTalkingGordon.png|TrackMaster Talking Gordon File:TrackMasterSnowyGordon.jpg|Snowy Gordon File:TomyGordonandZooWagonsBox.jpeg|Plarail Gordon and Zoo wagons File:TomicaGordon.jpg|Tomica File:TomicaGordon.PNG|Original Tomica File:LEGOGordon.png|LEGO File:MegaBloksGordon.jpg|Mega Bloks File:MegabloksGordonwithmatchingbridge.jpg|Mega Bloks with matching bridge File:MegaBloks2014Gordon.jpg File:DiablockGordon.jpg|Diablock File:NakayoshiGordon.jpg|Nakayoshi File:ChoroQGordon.jpg|Choro-Q File:ChoroQGordonTransformingStationSet.jpg|Choro-Q Gordon transforming station set File:ChoroQGordonTransformingStationSet2.jpg File:MotorizedRailwayGordon.jpg|Motorized Railway File:Wind-upGordon.jpg|Wind-Up File:Wind-upMetallicGordon.jpg|Metallic Wind-Up File:WindUpShinyGordon.jpg|Shiny Wind-Up File:WindUpGoldGordon.jpg|Gold Wind-Up File:Wind-upSilverGordon.jpg|Silver Wind-Up File:WindUpSilverAngryGordon.jpg|Silver angry Wind-Up File:Wind-upAngryGordon.jpg|Angry Wind-Up File:WindUpClearAngryGordon.jpg|Angry clear Wind-Up File:WindUpAngryShinyGordon.jpg|Angry shiny Wind-Up File:WindUpPompusGordon.jpg|Pompus Wind-Up File:DeAgostiniGordon.jpg|De Agostini File:BandaiTECGordon.jpg|Bandai TEC File:DepartingNowGordon.png|Departing Now File:PushAlongGordon.jpg|Push Along File:GordonPadlockandKey.jpg|Padlock and Key File:Switch-OnKeychainGordon.jpg|Switch-On Keychain File:PezHenryandGordon.jpg|Pez with Henry File:MicroRubberGordon.jpg|Micro Rubber File:PicoPicoGordon.jpg|Pico Pico File:MinisClassicGordon.jpg|Minis (Classic) File:MinisRacerGordon.jpg|Minis (Racers) File:MinisChillin'Gordon.jpg|Minis (Chillin') File:MinisMetallicGordon.jpg|Minis (Metallic) File:MinisGraffitiGordon.png|Minis (Graffiti) File:MyThomasStoryLibraryGordon.png|My Thomas Story Library book File:Gordon2011StoryLibrarybook.jpg|2011 Story Library book File:GordonStoryLibrarybookandCD.jpg|Book and CD File:GordonStoryLibrary(Welsh).jpg|Welsh Story Library book File:MyThomasStoryLibraryGordonChinese.png|Chinese Story Library book File:GordontheBigStrongEngine.jpg|Gordon the Big Strong Engine File:OwenBellBlockPuzzle5.jpg|Block Puzzle File:GordonTradingCard.png|Trading Card File:TheGreatDiscoveryGordoncard.jpg See also * Category:Images of Gordon Category:North Western Railway Category:Steam locomotives Category:Tender engines Category:4-6-2 Category:The Main Line